


Keep Your Head Up, My Love

by amory



Series: If I Fall For You, Would You Fall Too? [2]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Fluff and Angst, M/M, Past Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-13
Updated: 2013-05-13
Packaged: 2017-12-11 18:43:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/801941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amory/pseuds/amory
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry and Louis have a visitor</p>
            </blockquote>





	Keep Your Head Up, My Love

**Author's Note:**

> Set 6 months after "If I Fall For You, Would You Fall Too?" and originally posted on my tumblr: amoryfics.tumblr.com
> 
> Enjoy :)

Louis’ in the process of going through headshot after cheesy headshot, looking for anyone who starred in something other than their school’s production of  _Wicked_. Not that he has anything against Wicked, of course, it’s just that if he hears one more girl audition for the part of Rose in _Gypsy_  using “Popular”, he might just retire early. He’s looking over one promising looking resume when the front door swings open with a loud bang.

“Daddy! Daddy, come and see what Aunt Danielle has taught me!” Emma calls as soon as she steps across the threshold. Louis grins and leaves his work on the desk in the corner of the flat he’s claimed as his own.

Emma grins widely when her father sweeps her up into his arms and spins her around. Her tutu fluffs out behind her as she spins and lets out giggles pierced by shrill shrieking. “Did you have a good time at dance, Princess?” Louis asks, resting her on his hip.

“I did! I learned something new, too.” Emma kisses Louis on the cheek before scrambling back down to the ground.

Harry enters the flat, kicking the door shut behind him. Louis has to bite back a laugh when he sees his husband loaded down with grocery bags as well as Emma’s dance bag. “Do you need help, love?”

“No, ‘course not.” Harry jokes. Louis smiles and helps Harry put the bags down, before kissing him softly.

“Missed you.”

Harry pushes Louis’ fringe out of his eyes and smiles. “Missed you more.” He kisses Louis one more time on the lips before moving to the tip of the shorter boy’s nose.

They’ve only been apart a few hours, just long enough for Harry to take Emma to her dance lesson and to pick up a few things at the store, but it’s still too long for them. The two have hardly spent any time away from each other since uni, save for working long days, and it’s still odd not to have the other to lean on. Louis has no idea how he got so lucky.

“Ewww,” Emma groans out when she sees them. “Stop with the kissing, please, I need to show you something very important.” She waits for her fathers to stop being so  _lovey dovey_  as she puts it, patiently straightening out her tutu and her braids, and walking to the center of the living room.

Harry wraps and arm around Louis’ waist and directs them to the living room. “She’s very excited to show you what she learned. She wouldn’t stop talking about it the entire way home.” He whispers.

Louis laughs. “Well it must be pretty great then, mustn’t it Emma?”

The little girl nods excitedly, her braids bouncing around. “Dani said I got it right on the very first try!” Emma picked up dance remarkably well, partially because Danielle is her on again off again babysitter as well as her aunt and dance instructor, and partially because Emma just loves it. She loves learning new moves, she loves the proud looks her fathers give her, she loves doing recitals and seeing her family smiling in the crowd. Her Grandma Anne always teases Louis that they have another little star in the family, and that makes Emma grin so wide her cheeks hurt.

Louis motions for her to go. “Show me, sweetheart.”

Emma lets out a long breath and nods, while Harry stifles a laugh at how her little features scrunch up when she’s determined. She gets up on her tiptoes as best she can and spins around once, kicking her leg out at the end, and shouting “Ta-da!” at the top of her lungs. Louis and Harry start clapping and shouting exaggeratedly while Emma curtsies and giggles.

“That was beautiful.” Louis praises.

“Thank you Daddy,” Emma says, shimmying her tutu off and running to her fathers in just her tights and leotard. “Papa said he was very proud of me and that we should make cookies to celebrate. Also we need to take some to Uncle Liam because he’s sick, also I want to bring them to class for show and tell, and also we need to eat some.” She counts on her fingers and looks up to Louis, blue eyes wide and pleading.

Louis looks over at Harry who refuses to meet his eyes, and laughs. “Are you sure Papa suggested it, or did he get some convincing from a certain little girl?”

“Either way, we now have enough supplies to make cookies for the entire country. Might as well.” Harry says, trying to make it seem like it was his idea. Louis knows it wasn’t, because Harry is the pushover parent. It’s something they’ve been working on because eventually it won’t be so cute, but sometimes Harry just can’t say no to Emma’s insisting. For now Louis leaves it, pecking Harry on the lips, and leading his two favorite people into the kitchen.

The three of them are about elbow deep in cookie dough when the doorbell rings. Everything goes silent for a moment, before Harry speaks up with; “Who thinks…Daddy should get it?” Emma giggles from where she sits on the counter near the bowl and raises one sugar coated arm up in the air, waving it around.

“Thanks babe.” Louis rolls his eyes but goes anyway, making sure to wipe his arms down with a tea towel first. The only people who ever show up to his flat are the boys and Anne and Jay but he isn’t going to risk possibly greeting one of Harry’s colleagues with cookie dough covered hands.

The doorbell rings a few more times on his way over which only annoys him. Louis opens the doorbell and raises an eyebrow when he sees a man he doesn’t recognize. He’s tall, a lot taller than Louis is, and almost bald, but something about him seems incredibly familiar.

“Can I help you?”

The man shifts awkwardly on his feet, looking over Louis’ head and into their flat. “Is Harry Styles here?”

Louis frowns and tries to stand up straighter, trying to appear at least a little intimidating. He’s getting a strange vibe off this man, and he doesn’t like it one bit. “Yes he is. May I ask who you are?”

The man opens his mouth but is cut off by a playful shout. “It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s an Emma Bug!” Harry’s voice comes booming from the kitchen along with girly giggling. Both Louis and the man look over and watch Harry walk into the room with a now cleaned up Emma in his arms.

“Babe, who is it-” Harry stops short when he sees the man standing at the door. Louis watches on in shocked silence as something clicks inside Harry. His normally joyful bright eyes go dark and his jaw sets hard. The muscles in his arms flex visibly as he pulls Emma closer to him, as close as he can get her, turning away slightly.

“Ow! Papa, that’s too tight!” Emma complains, her eyebrows furrowing when she notices Harry’s face.

Harry must realize what’s happened because he startles a bit and loosens up. “Emma, go to your room, okay?” He says softly.

“But Papa-”

“Emma. Now.” Harry puts her down. Emma looks from Harry’s angry face to Louis’ confused one, and realizes something must be very wrong. She’s never seen Harry angry before and this tells her that even though she doesn’t understand it, something is very wrong. So she just nods and goes for her room, casting a few glances back as she walks.

As soon as he door shuts Harry is in motion. He storms across the flat and pushes Louis back from the door. “What are you doing here?” Harry growls, his arm still resting across the front of Louis’ shoulders protectively.

The man in the doorway doesn’t seem the least bit phased by Harry’s, in fact he’s smiling. He takes a small step forward which makes Harry push Louis back even farther, despite Louis’ protests.

“Can’t a father visit his son? It’s been so long since I’ve seen you, Harry.” And then Louis can see it. That’s why the man looks so familiar; he looks just like an older version of Harry.

“Get out.” Harry seethes. “Get the fuck away from my family or I swear to god I will call the police.”

Harry’s father raises and eyebrow and chuckles. “Family?” his eyes shift to Louis and he laughs again. “So it’s true then. My son’s a faggot. Probably should have seen it coming of course, without a man’s presence in the house and all that. Anne always thought she was so smart running off to raise you. Now look at you.”

Louis feels Harry stiffen up at this. “Don’t you dare talk about my mother like that, don’t you fucking dare act like I would have been any better off with you around. I count my blessings everyday that you left, because if you hadn’t, I wouldn’t have any of this.”

“That pretty little granddaughter of mine might have had a mother then, like it should be,” Harry’s father remarks. “She would have been my actual granddaughter, not adopted from some teenage whore.”

That’s all it takes for Harry to snap. Louis has to wrap and arm around him before he goes flying forward in an attempt to do something, anything, to shut his father up. “Don’t talk about my daughter, don’t even fucking think about her, do you hear me? She’s isn’t your granddaughter, she isn’t your anything. She has a family, one that does not include you. I swear to god if you so much as lay a hand on her I’ll-”

“You need to leave.” Louis finally speaks up. Harry’s father looks surprised to hear him speak, but Louis continues. Harry is too frantic to get his words out clearly, but for some reason Louis is controlled. “Get out or I’m calling the police. They will be called anyway actually. If you come within ten miles of Harry or Anne ever again I will personally guarantee you regret it, is that understood?” Louis may not be very intimidating looking but he has a menacing tone that positively cuts people to the core.

Harry’s father says nothing, just stares. Louis takes a step forward and has to hold back his grin when the man takes one step back. “You have ten seconds. Ten, nine-”

“You know where to find me, Harry.”

Louis grabs the door in his hand and sneers. “Yeah and so do I. You better be expecting that restraining order within the week, asshole.” And with that he slams the door shut. Harry comes up to it and locks it in three different places, which had become a necessity after they found Emma pirouetting down the hallway one morning, and which Harry is now incredibly grateful for.

His breathing is heavy and uneven and he finally just rests his head against the door, eyes closed. Louis takes a careful step forward. “Harry, sweetheart.” Nothing. “Hazza?” Nothing. Harry finally sinks to the floor, pulling his knees up to his chest, and letting out a sob.

“Oh god. I hurt her, I hurt her, I hurt her,” He moans. Louis gets to his knees and brushes at Harry’s curls. Normally this would calm him down but not this time. This time Harry’s head snaps up with a gasp and his eyes go wide. “I pushed you. Oh god, Louis I pushed you. I hurt our daughter and I hurt you, I’m just like him, oh god.”

Louis places a hand on Harry’s back and rubs in slow, soothing circles. “Harry, just breathe alright? You didn’t hurt anyone, I promise. It’s alright sweetheart.” He whispers, trying not to freak himself out. It’s been so long since he’s seen Harry get this upset, not since his father last contacted him all those years ago. Quite honestly it scares Louis seeing Harry this way, made vulnerable by just a few cutting remarks from that man.

Harry shakes his head, moaning. “I did, I hurt Emma. I hurt my baby.” He covers his hand with his hand and lets out the most heart wrenching sob that has Louis throwing out all his old calming techniques and pulling Harry into his arms. Just like that they’re kids again. Harry clutches onto Louis shirt and openly sobs into the older boy’s shoulder while Louis himself tries to keep from crying.

“My baby, my baby. Did you hear what he said about her? What he said about you? He’s going to hurt you both, oh god.”

Louis shakes his head and kisses behind Harry’s ear. “Harry, are you listening to me?” Harry’s curls move against Louis’ cheek in a nod. “You didn’t hurt Emma. It was your first instinct and you were trying to protect her. We both know she’s a bit dramatic, you didn’t hurt her. Or me, for that matter. You put yourself between your father, myself, and your daughter, that is not hurting. You are  _nothing_ like him.”

“I would never push you. I can’t believe I did that,” Harry whispers. “And Emma, poor Emma, she probably thinks I’m angry with her.”

“C’mon now, Haz,” Louis smiles. “It was hardly a push, more of a nudge if anything. Don’t give yourself so much credit my little bean pole.” He knows it’s no time for jokes, but he can’t help it. He just wants Harry to smile again.

Harry’s breathing slows a bit but he doesn’t loosen his hold on Louis. “I was terrified. All I saw as him…him hitting you both like he hit Mum. All I saw was him ruining the two things I love more than life itself. I-I didn’t know what to do I-”

“Nothing you did was wrong, Harry.” Louis says firmly.

It takes a moment, but finally Harry nods. His breath still hitches every so often but when he speaks again he sounds much more determined. “We need to put more locks on the door and we need to call the police and file a restraining order. I won’t let him touch you. I won’t let him touch my baby.”

Louis nods. “Of course, love, of course. What ever you need to feel safe we’ll do it. It promise. It’ll be okay.”

Harry squeezes Louis tight to him and kisses his husband’s neck softly. “I love you so much. I don’t know what I’d do with you.” He sounds scared and if Louis could see his face, he’d see Harry biting back more tears.

“You’ll never have to know,” Louis whispers back. “I’ll always be here for you, love, I promise. Now let’s go get Emma, alright?”

It’s too late for that because right then the little girl’s door swings open and she comes out. In her hand is her plastic baseball bat Niall had bought for her over the summer when he realized how terrible she is at football. Emma comes running into the room, wielding the bat and looking around. When she sees no one else but her fathers, she lets the bat rest on the ground.

“He made my Papa and Daddy cry.” She says softly, by way of explanation.

Harry lifts his head and smiles. “Oh, Ems, you’re perfect. Come here.” Emma needs no other invitation to join the group hug, snuggling into Louis’ lap and wrapping her arms around Harry’s. She wipes at Harry’s eyes and frowns.

“Papa, don’t cry,” Emma whispers. Her blue eyes spark and she reaches up to kiss him on the cheek. “Do you want me to read you a story?”

Harry smiles and Louis marvels at how Emma can completely turn around their moods just by being herself, just by giving Harry a smile and a cute comment. “Maybe later, little love,” Harry says, kissing her forehead. “Right now Papa just wants hugs from his two favorite people.” Emma complies immediately, wrapping her scrawny arms around his neck and hugging him tight. She closes her little eyes and relaxes between her fathers.

“Papa? Was that your Daddy?”

Harry looks to Louis for help, obviously unsure of what to say. Louis nods and starts to take out Emma’s braids, brushing his fingers through her soft curls. “Emma, babe, some people only have Mommies and some people only have Daddies-”

“And some people have two Daddies, like me.” She finishes happily.

Louis smiles. “Yes love, like you. But some people, like Papa, have a Mommy but don’t talk to their Daddies. And then there are some people who have a Daddy but don’t talk to their Mommies. Does that make sense?” He hopes it does, because he really doesn’t know how to explain Harry’s father to Emma. She’s only 6, she has no idea what the world is really like, she doesn’t understand cruelty. The scariest things in her mind are the bogeyman and getting lost in the grocery store, and Louis wishes he could keep her that way forever.

Emma nods a bit against Harry’s shoulder. “Some people have meanie Daddies, then.” She says slowly, trying to comprehend it. “Not like your Daddy, the one in heaven, but like Papa’s?”

Harry sighs and runs his hand down Emma’s back. “Yes, love, unfortunately some people have meanie Daddies.”

Emma pulls back and looks to both of her fathers, before taking one of their hands in each of hers. “It’s okay, I can protect Papa. Uncle Zayn taught me how to punch, he says I’ll have to fight boys off when I’m older.”

Harry laughs at this but Louis just shakes his head. “Emma, never listen to a word your Uncle Zayn says, alright?” Louis thinks about this for a second, before adding, “Actually, never listen to a word any of your uncles say, stick to your aunt.”

Emma nods solemnly. “That’s what she told me too.”

Harry and Louis both laugh while their daughter scrunches up her nose in confusion. Finally, resigning to the fact that she’ll never get the joke, she stretches up and kisses Harry on the cheek again. “Please don’t cry anymore Papa. I don’t like when you’re sad.”

Harry looks down at Emma and brushes at her cheeks with his thumbs. Sometimes its so hard to believe all of this is his, that Louis and Emma are his. It isn’t perfect, of course it’s not, but it’s his and he can’t imagine what he’s done to deserve something this amazing.

“Papa would never hurt you, you know that baby girl? And I will always be there to protect you. I love you so very, very much.”

Emma breaks out into a large grin. “Silly, I know you wouldn’t!” She giggles, and Louis looks to Harry as if this is evidence enough for him to breathe regularly again. “Can we finish our cookies now?”

Louis reaches for Harry’s hand and squeezes. Harry looks up and meets Louis’ eyes with a smile, a small one, but still a smile. This isn’t over, it’s far from over, but they can’t dwell on the bad longer than they need to, not when they have this little ball of sunshine sitting between them.

“Sure,” Louis says, eyes never straying from Harry’s and his grip on the other boy’s hand still firm. “Let’s go finish our cookies.”


End file.
